Hard to believe it's already been more than a dozen years since his life was cut so tragically short. One can only wonder what a man who was known for being introspective, intense, intelligent and passionate — not to mention self-deprecating and unvarnished — would make of his near mythological stature or a legacy that remains fueled by a foundation bearing his name and espousing his ideals plus a new NFL Films documentary that celebrates his life.

"It's always great that people want to continue to tell his story and honor him," Tillman's widow, Marie, told USA TODAY Sports this week. "Particularly through the foundation, we have so many people that reach out to us and have been impacted by Pat's life and continue to carry that forward.

"I'm always happy to see that."

Adrian Wilson, Tillman's former Arizona Cardinals teammate, says his depiction as a modern day superhero is deserved even if it seems an outsized mantle.

"Personally, I don't think anybody would want to be talked about the way he has been since he left us," Wilson told USA TODAY Sports. "It's just one of those eerie-type deals where you don't want to talk too highly about the guy — but he was the type of person that you have to. He just brought so much to the table as a person."

Pat Tillman played for the Cardinals from 1998-2001.(Photo: AP)

What would Tillman have done with his life after the NFL and his time in the Army? He didn't seem to know himself, and Marie Tillman calls it "the big question that we all would have loved to been able to know the answer to."

A stellar student at Arizona State who worked on a master's degree while playing for the Cardinals, maybe Tillman would have devoted himself to the study of human performance, or advocacy work, perhaps fighting PTSD — all are among the passion projects of some scholars funded by the Pat Tillman Foundation, which has raised $14 million since his death to fund academic scholarships for military veterans and spouses.

One Tillman Scholar, a former Army engineer who served in Afghanistan, now helps Afghan farmers distribute saffron, a spice, to international markets, an important alternative in a country infamously reliant on opiate trafficking. It's striking — yet somehow feels appropriate — that the foundation is associated with such an endeavor given Tillman was killed in Afghanistan while serving with Army Rangers in 2004.

"The foundation is a way to continue his life and memory," said Marie Tillman. "It was born out of this legacy and amazing person, but it's very much rooted in the scholars and the work that they're doing here and now."

In Pat Tillman: A Football Life, NFL Films touches on some of that work, while also raising compelling yet unanswerable questions about the man himself.

The tan beret signifies Tillman's membership in the elite Army Rangers.(Photo: AP)

Had his football career resumed, how might it have played out? (Clue: "Loyal, hardworking, tough, big heart — those are the characteristic that came through to me. Be a good guy to have on your side," said New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, revealing a rare public smile in the documentary when talking about Tillman, whom New England — and several other teams — coveted once his military service was complete.)

Pat Tillman the Patriot? How appropriate.

It would also be fascinating to know Tillman's stance regarding the NFL's ongoing national anthem controversy. A Football Life, which officially premieres on NFL Network at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, shows an interview of Tillman explaining the "national anthem's about a 10 actually (on an emotional game day scale) — I get fired up for that. I have a patriotic bone to me. So emotionally really, I let myself go for that."

Yet given his reputation for exploring all facets of any given issue, it's hard to imagine him arriving at a snap judgment.

"Pat stood for something, and he went out there and did something about it," Wilson said.

"My hat still goes off to him."

That sentiment still rings true throughout the NFL, in the military's special operations community and elsewhere. There are monuments to Tillman across the country, and not just at football stadiums in Arizona. Tens of thousands continue to participate in Pat's Run in Tempe, Ariz., and shadow runs around America.

Said Marie Tillman: "I think he would feel good that his life continues to have an impact on people in a really positive way."